10 Best 80s Rock Love Songs

The 80s were simply the best decade for music, but some 80s rock songs, specifically love songs, are timeless. They will go down in history as some of the best songs ever written and played. You can’t help but get the chills and maybe a bit emotional when you listen to the lyrics. Many of these rockstars are writing from personal experiences, mix that in with their legendary creativity, and you have a masterpiece. Some of the best rock bands of the 80s include Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Skid Row, Cinderella, Poison, Whitesnake, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner and Journey.

These songs have surely been played at weddings, bedrooms with the lights off after a breakup, anniversaries, in the car, on dates, at concerts, cover bands, middle and high school dances and you get the idea. There’s no way anyone can get through this list without recognizing at least a couple songs.

Of course everyone would have their own opinion on the order of the list, but in our point of view, here are the best 80s rock love songs.

1. I Want to Know What Love Is by Foreigner

Released in November 1984 by Foreigner as the lead single of their fifth album, Agent Provocateur, “I  Want to Know What Love Is” was the number one hit song in both the United Kingdom and United States. It was one of the most enduring radio hits as well as being featured in a number of films.

As for how it was written, lead singer Mick Jones explained “‘I Want to Know What Love Is’ came up at three in the morning sometime in 1984…I don’t know where it came from. I consider it a gift that was sent through me. I think there was something bigger than me behind it. I’d say it was probably written entirely by a higher force.” As the song is legendary with incredible lyrics, rhythm and vocals, perhaps someone chose him to provide a gift to the world. Mick said his parents were with him in the studio when he played the song a few times before saying The Lord’s Prayer. After feeling inspired, they did the song in one take, thinking “My God! I’ve done it!” And he surely did.

2. Right Here Waiting by Richard Marx

Released on June 29th, 1989 by Richard Marx, singer and songwriter, “Right Here Waiting” was the second single from Repeat Offender, his second album. The song was immediately a global success, topping charts around the world, where it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also certified Platinum by the RIAA.

As for how Richard wrote the song, he said he wrote it on the road as a letter to his wife, Cynthia Rhodes, who was an actress and shooting on a film in South Africa. The track was arranged by Marx with Jefferey Vanston to not have any heavy drums or synthesizers, but only classical guitar and keyboard. The song is also covered by many other artists.

Fun Fact: Marx didn’t have a lot of time to make the music video. So contrary to many’s belief, a lot of the tour footage was compiled to make the official video for the song.

3. Keep on Loving You by REO Speed Wagon

Written by Kevin Cronin and performed by REO Speedwagon, the song first appeared on their 1980 hit album Hi Infidelity. It was also their first single to break the top 50 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, reaching the number one spot for a week in March 1981. The song was certified Platinum for over one million copies sold in the U.S. “Keep on Loving You” has been a mainstay on the 1980s rock love songs and has appeared in various artist compilation albums, as well as one of REO Speedwagon’s greatest hits albums.

“Keep on Loving You” started out as a traditional love ballad, according to Kevin Cronin, and the band then arranged it into more of a power ballad. Kevin sat down at the piano, despite being a guitar player, and started to play.

The other band members were at first shocked and confused, but he was passionate about the song. So they joined in, playing power chords to his “little love song I [Cronin] wrote.” At the end of the day, what they called an “accident” turned into a masterpiece.

4. I Remember You by Skid Row

Released in November 1989 and sung by the heavy metal band Skid Row, “I Remember You” is the third single from their hit debut album. It was written by the band member Rachel Bolan and Dave “the Snake” Sabo. It also stayed on number six on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as number twenty-three on the Mainstream Rock Tracks in early 1990.

“I Remember You” was actually written and published in 1941 by Victor Schertzinger, who wrote the music and Johnny Mercer, who wrote the lyrics. As far as its history with Skid Row, they never wanted to record it at first, afraid that it would make them a ballad band. But after going back and forth with their label, they compromised and put it on record as long as it didn’t have a keyboard.

5. Faithfully by Journey

Written by Journey’s keyboardist Jonathan Cain, “Faithfully” is the second single from their album Frontiers. It reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Journey their second consecutive top-twenty hit from Frontiers. Although the song does not have a chorus, it became one of the band’s most recognizable hits and has withstood the test of time. According to a Classic Rock article, “Faithfully” was called the greatest power ballad ever recorded.

When Jonathan Cain first wrote “Faithfully”, he started with just the lyrics “highway run into the midnight sun” written on a paper napkin while riding a tour bus to Saratoga Springs, NY. By the next day, he had the song finished in just a half-hour. Cain connected the song to his Christian faith, saying, “I’d never had a song come to me so quickly…it was anointed, supernatural.” The song is also considered a “road song” as much of the music video features the band on tour. This “road video” concept was later used by a number of bands, including Poison, Genesis, Guns N’ Roses, Mötley Crüe and Richard Marx.

6. Alone by Heart

As successful as the song was, “Alone” was composed by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, who originally recorded it under the name i-Ten on their 1983 album Taking a Cold Look. It was then covered by Heart on their 1987 album Bad Animals, which reached number one both in the US and Canada.

The song is about the lead singer, Ann Wilson, who’s in love with a guy and ready to tell him. But after sitting by herself in her dark room, she became afraid. So the song goes on “How do I get you alone?” “Alone”, along with a number of Heart’s early songs, including “Crazy on You” were heavily influenced by Ann and Nancy Wilson’s personal romances.

7. Waiting for a Girl Like You by Foreigner

“Waiting for a Girl Like You” was the second single released from the album 4 (1981) and was co-written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones. The synthesizer was performed by Thomas Dolby. It’s become one of Foreigner’s most successful songs around the world, reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as Billboard’s Rock Tracks chart, until they released “I Want to Know What Love Is”.

In Lou Gramm’s autobiography, he saw a mysterious, beautiful woman who appeared in the control room while he was recording his vocal. It was then when he felt inspired to do the best take ever recorded on the song. But after she left, he was never able to find her.

8. The Flame by Cheap Trick

Written by bob Mitchel and Nick Graham, “The Flame” was released in 1988 by Cheap Trick and the first single from their tenth album Lap of Luxury. “The Flame” also reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in July of 1988 in the US, Australia and Canada, which became the band’s number one hit.

“The Flame” was considered the band’s comeback album after the failure of their 1986 album The Doctor. Lap of Luxury, on the other hand, had spawned three top 40 hit singles as well as one minor hit single. The song was first presented to the band through the vice president of Epic Records, saying “we have these two songs and they’re both gonna be #1. We got one for you and one for the group Chicago, but you can have first choice. I think the one ‘The Flame’ would be good for you guys.” The other option was “Look Away”, which the band thought was girly, so they chose “The Flame.”

9. Still Loving You by Scorpions

“Still Loving You” is a power ballad by Scorpions, which was released in July of 1984 as the second single from their ninth album, Love at First Sting. It reached number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100. Although it was especially popular in France, where it hit #1. It became so popular that it even sparked a baby boom in the country. The band was shocked of course.

According to Song Facts, it was a “very emotional song of love and pain and wishing for another chance.”  It’s a story about a love affair where they (the couple) realized it might be over, but decided to try again. The guitarist Rudolf Schenker explained in an interview “I came up with the composition’s melody and everything. It took about six years of trying to get the song somehow on the album.” It was Klaus Meine who wrote the lyrics while sitting in a field of snow, and he didn’t come home until they were finished.

10. Home Sweet Home by Mötley Crüe

Originally released in 1985 on the album Theatre of Pain, “Home Sweet Home” is one of Mötley Crüe’s best songs. While not about a particular person, the song is about the band longing to be home. I mean, 18 months on the road has got to make anyone homesick, and they wrote an incredible song about it.

Despite hitting number 89 in the Billboard Hot 100, Mötley Crüe’s label, Elektra, did not want to release it. Thinking the emotional lyrics and rhythm would conflict with their heavy metal style, the label rejected it right away. In fact, the band’s lead singer explained in an interview, “We were always at war with that record company. They never really believed in us…When [Theatre of Pain] got turned in, with ‘Home Sweet Home’ on it…They said, ‘This is horrible, and you have to take that song off the record. You guys aren’t a ballad band.”

After threatening to leave, the band was still denied the funds to support its release. So they funded and shot the video themselves, putting it on MTV. Not bad for a low budget film, considering it was a popular hit!

What are Your Favorite 80s Love Songs?

Do you have any love songs that you’re in love with? Any with any personal connection? We’d love to hear any mushy details about the song and your sweetheart!